Main menu

Post navigation

What Coconut Water to buy?

Coconut water is reported to have:
– Electrolytes (especially potassium) to keep you hydrated
– Cytokines, which have anti aging, anti carcinogenic, anti thrombotic effects.
– Naturally occurring enzymes, which assist your body’s processes.
– Source of B complex vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which are all essential for your body, fulfilling many functions and protecting you from many diseases.

However, the processing of coconut water to kill the bacteria and extend the shelf life greatly affects the nutritional value of the water and many coconut waters have added ingredients. Therefore it is important to check the labels to ensure your buying coconut water that has these amazing benefits.

COCONUT WATER BUYING GUIDE

So what methods are best?

Raw – High Pressure processing is the best method as pressure instead of heat is used. This process preserves the nutritional content of the coconut water and retaining more flavor. Point to note – some raw coconut waters will turn pink due to the antioxidants and interacting with the light, this is safe and shows a good nutritious water.

Pasteurized – the coconut water is heated resulting in reduced nutritional content. Heating destroys many of the nutrients and enzymes.

Formaldehyde bath – this is the worst method, dipping the coconut in this chemical bath, as not only are the nutrients destroys but it makes the water carcinogenic, effectively poisonous.

Ingredients, what to look for?

Young coconut not mature coconut. Young coconuts have a better flavor and more nutrients. As they age the water and nutrients begin to seep into the coconut meat.

No additives, this includes artificial or natural additives.

Non organic, GMO, Organic

Research to date has not found any strong evidence to show a difference in buying organic coconuts. The tough shell of the coconut protecting it. However, there are growing concerns over the pesticide use and even reports of sugar added to the soil to make coconuts sweeter.

If you are buying a coconut water with other additives then it is more important that they are organic.

Point to note: If you are buying whole coconuts then watch out for the for ones dipped in formaldehyde baths.

From concentrate

Coconut water is heated heated to reduce it to syrup, making it cheaper to ship, then water is re added before packaged. Like pasteurizing heating the coconut water destroys many of the nutrients and enzymes.

Point to note: Even Coconut water from concentrate can say 100% coconut water.

OVERALL CONCLUSION:
Look for a coconut water that has as many of these as possible
* Raw using the HPP method
* Uses young coconut
* Not from concentrate
* That has no added ingredients

Its great that coconut water is becoming more popular but we are consuming more than we can produce. It is therefore even more important you think about what brands you buy. We need coconuts to be grown sustainably and to protect the coconut producers ensuring they have fair trade.